Harmanpreet Kaur remains optimistic about Pratika Rawal’s recovery ahead of semifinal clash against Australia

MUMBAI (Maharashtra) : India Women skipper Harmanpreet Kaur expressed optimism about teammate Pratika Rawal’s recovery, confirming that the medical staff is monitoring her condition closely.

Pratika Rawal was forced off the field after she sustained an injury while fielding at the boundary during the ICC Women’s Cricket World Cup 2025 fixture against Bangladesh.

BCCI issued an update on Rawal’s injury, “Team India all-rounder Pratika Rawal sustained an injury to her knee and ankle while fielding in the first innings against Bangladesh. The BCCI Medical Team is closely monitoring her progress.”

The incident occurred during the 21st over of Bangladesh’s innings, when Rawal, running to intercept the ball in the deep, seemed to have injured her right foot.

Speaking on the player’s injury, Harmanpreet Kaur said after the match, “Our medical team will update on her. They are taking care of her injury, and hopefully, she will be back soon.”

Women in Blue’s final league-stage match of the Women’s World Cup 2025 against Bangladesh was abandoned midway at the DY Patil Stadium in Navi Mumbai on Sunday due to persistent rain. Earlier, exceptional performance by the Indian bowlers restricted the opponent to 119/9 in 27 overs.

Expressing her thoughts on bowler’s performance, the player said, “Today, I think the way we bowled looked quite balanced and there was a lot of clarity. That’s something we will definitely take from this game. The way Radha bowled today gives us another option for the next game. Amanjot came back into the team and did her bit as well. I think whatever we planned, we tried to achieve.”

The Harmanpreet Kaur-led side will lock horns with the defending champions, Australia Women, in the second semi-final of the ongoing ICC Women’s World Cup, which will take place at Navi Mumbai’s DY Patil Stadium on Thursday, September 30.

Speaking on the upcoming knockout game, the 36-year-old said, “It’s a very important game for us. I personally feel we’ve played really good cricket in the league matches. Now the next game is very crucial. Everyone has contributed whenever the team needed, and that’s something we’ll carry forward. We’ve always spoken about enjoying ourselves while playing, and I think that’s the key for us – to go out there and enjoy the semis.”

Bangladesh concluded their campaign with one win and five losses and finished at the seventh spot, while India wrapped up the group stage at fourth place, with three wins, three defeats, and this washed-out fixture.

Speaking on the team’s campaign in the ongoing mega event, Bangladesh captain Nigar Sultana Joty said, “First of all, how we started the tournament gives us good momentum, definitely. And we played a few close games against England, Sri Lanka, and South Africa. Maybe there are a few areas where we could have done better – maybe we could have won those games.”

“I think we’ve been working really hard as a group and have been playing together for a long time. We know each other well, and I think that helps us on the ground as well. We’ve included a few young players, and they’ve been giving their 110% on the field. They’re all champions, I’d say. They’ll definitely take a lot of positives from here and try to apply them in their lives. We just want to summarize the whole tournament, definitely. There are a lot of things we can take from here, but we should sit down and discuss what areas we could improve in. Maybe if we work on those, we’ll go further next time,” she added. (ANI)